Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED OFFICE ACTION
This action is responsive to the communication received November 6th, 2025. Claims 1-15 have been canceled. Claims 16-31 have been entered and are presented for examination.
Application 18/021,111 is a 371 of PCT/KR2021/014617 (10/19/2021) and has Chinese Applications 202011118893.1 (10/19/2020) and 202110025865.3 (01/08/2021).
Election/Restrictions
Newly submitted claim 16-31 directed to an invention that is independent or distinct from the invention originally claimed for the following reasons: The original claims are directed to obtaining a resource for duplex transmission. The new claims are obtaining a time division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink configuration, a resource validation configuration, and information on a full-duplex capability of the IAB node; determining time-domain symbols related to full-duplex transmission; and performing uplink transmission or downlink transmission based on the determined time- domain symbols, wherein the TDD uplink and downlink configuration includes: a first configuration for a first serving cell where the IAB-MT is located, and a second configuration for a second serving cell of the IAB-DU.
Since applicant has received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention, this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits. Accordingly, claim 16-31 withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP § 821.03.
To preserve a right to petition, the reply to this action must distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement. Otherwise, the election shall be treated as a final election without traverse. Traversal must be timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are subsequently added, applicant must indicate which of the subsequently added claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Maya et al. (US 2023/0345553).
Regarding claims 1, 9, Maya et al. discloses a method performed by a first node in a communication system, comprising: obtaining a physical resource related to a first duplex transmission; and performing uplink transmission or downlink transmission based on the obtained physical resource related to the first duplex transmission (see Figures 2, 8, and paragraphs 0111, 208, 0210 [ first resource configuration for a DU of a reference node (100a); a second resource configuration for a MT of a reference node (100a); transmitting, by the reference node (100a), UL transmission to the at least one parent node (100b) in the non-overlapping time slot]).
Regarding claims 2, 10, Maya et al. further discloses wherein the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission includes time-domain or frequency-domain resources for performing the first duplex transmission (see Figure 15 [resources for the IAB node]), or time-domain or frequency-domain resources possible for performing the first duplex transmission, wherein acquiring the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission is based on at least one of: time division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink configuration; resource validation configuration; or a first duplex capability of a communication node (paragraph 0016-0021; 0123-0124 [Full Duplex/Half Duplex Capabilities]).
Regarding claims 3, 11, Maya et al. further discloses wherein the first node is one of: a base station; a terminal; or an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node including a mobile terminal (MT) and a distributed unit (DU) (paragraph 0111 [MT and DU of any IAB node]).
Regarding claims 4, 12, Maya et al. further discloses wherein the mobile terminal (MT) of the IAB node acquires a first duplex slot pattern A of a serving cell A where it is located (see Figures 1, 15 and paragraph 0005 [first serving network]), and the distributed unit (DU) of the IAB node acquires a first duplex slot pattern B of its serving cell B (see Figures 1, 15 and paragraph 0005 [range extension serving network]), wherein the first duplex slot pattern A and the first duplex slot pattern B indicate the first duplex slot pattern in the same transmission direction or respectively indicate the first duplex slot patterns in different transmission directions (see Figure 15), and wherein the transmission direction includes uplink and/or downlink (see Figure 15 and paragraph 0309 [resource allocation patterns in an IAB node]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 5, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maya et al. (US 2023/0345553) in view of Luo et al. (US 2020/0351930).
Regarding claims 5, 13, Maya et al. discloses all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, but does not explicitly disclose obtaining information including at least one of an uplink minimum scheduling delay and/or a downlink minimum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource, an uplink maximum scheduling delay and/or a downlink maximum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource, or the scheduling delay configuration for uplink physical transmission and/or downlink physical transmission of a specific time-domain resource, wherein the specific time-domain resource is a time-domain resource related to the first duplex transmission, wherein the scheduling delay indicates the time-domain interval between the time unit where the scheduling grant information is transmitted and the time unit of scheduled physical transmission, and wherein the physical transmission includes transmission of at least one of the following: a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).
However, Luo et al. discloses obtaining information including at least one of an uplink minimum scheduling delay and/or a downlink minimum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource (paragraph 0132 [IAB donor node 505 may transmit a DCI grant with a configuration gap K0 equal to 2.]), an uplink maximum scheduling delay and/or a downlink maximum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource, or the scheduling delay configuration for uplink physical transmission and/or downlink physical transmission of a specific time-domain resource, wherein the specific time-domain resource is a time-domain resource related to the first duplex transmission (paragraph 0132 [downlink transmission; the DCI grant transmitted in slot 1 may schedule PDSCH resources in the soft resources of slot 3.]), wherein the scheduling delay indicates the time-domain interval between the time unit where the scheduling grant information is transmitted and the time unit of scheduled physical transmission (paragraph 0132 [downlink transmission; the DCI grant transmitted in slot 1 may schedule PDSCH resources in the soft resources of slot 3.]), and wherein the physical transmission includes transmission of at least one of the following: a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (paragraph 0132 [downlink transmission; the DCI grant transmitted in slot 1 may schedule PDSCH resources in the soft resources of slot 3.]), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize a DCI grant could include a configuration gap to allow specific downlink transmission occasion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 14-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose:
receiving downlink control information (DCI) and/or high-layer signaling of the scheduling grant; and obtaining the configuration of uplink and/or downlink invalid symbol(s) within one or more slots, wherein after obtaining the configuration of downlink rate matching pattern(s) for downlink transmission, the first node applies the con- figuration of downlink rate matching on a specific physical resource which includes the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission or the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission in a specific transmission direction, wherein the specific transmission direction is downlink
or
The method of claim 6, further comprising: obtaining a user group downlink control information (DCI) for de- termining uplink and/or downlink invalid symbol(s) within one or more slots and applying the configuration of uplink and/or downlink invalid symbol(s) on the specific physical resource including at least one of the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission and the physical resource related to the first duplex transmission in the specific transmission direction, wherein the specific transmission direction includes uplink and/or downlink, wherein, in case that the first node is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node including a mobile terminal (MT) and a distributed unit (DU), an uplink minimum scheduling delay and/or a downlink minimum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource are acquired by the MT of the IAB node, while an uplink maximum scheduling delay and/or a downlink maximum scheduling delay for scheduling physical transmission on a specific time-domain resource are acquired by the DU of the IAB node, wherein the DU of the IAB node is provided with the configuration of specific reference signal(s), the specific reference signal(s) includes specific downlink reference signal(s) sent by the DU of the IAB node or specific uplink reference signal(s) sent by the MT of the IAB node, and wherein the specific downlink reference signal(s) include at least one of a downlink demodulation reference signal, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) and a downlink reference signal related to the first duplex transmission; and the specific uplink reference signal(s) include at least one of an uplink demodulation reference signal, a sounding reference signal and an uplink reference signal related to the first duplex transmission
or
reporting a request related to the first duplex transmission which includes scheduling request for a first duplex transmission, and wherein the first node is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node including a mobile terminal (MT) and a distributed unit (DU), wherein the scheduling request for first duplex transmission is for at least one of the following first duplex transmission cases: a first duplex transmission request that the DU of the IAB node receives and transmits signals at the same time, a request that the DU of the IAB node performs downlink transmission on the physical resource where the MT of the IAB node performs downlink reception or possibly performs downlink reception, and a request that the DU of the IAB node performs uplink reception on the physical resource where the MT of the IAB node performs uplink transmission or possibly performs uplink transmission, wherein configuration related to the first duplex transmission which includes the configuration of reference signal(s) or the configuration of invalid resource(s), is reported by the first node, and wherein the reference signal(s) include uplink demodulation reference signal(s) or downlink demodulation reference signal(s).
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE whose telephone number is (571)270-3937. The examiner can normally be reached 4pm-11:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached at (571)270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE/Examiner, Art Unit 2465